Brave GentleMan’s Unisex Fashion Features Vegan Wool, Faux Leather

It may be primarily a menswear brand, but Brave GentleMan's latest collection shows that what's good for the gander works just as well for the goose. With looks that suit the boys, as well as "borrowed from the boys," the ethical label recognizes the broad appeal of a well-tailored suit or a polished oxford. “One of the most common requests we’ve received over the last several years is for women’s sizes in our shoes, boots, and ready-to-wear," Joshua Katcher, the company's founder, told Ecouterre. "Menswear is a universal aesthetic that everyone can enjoy, and, as Brave GentleMan moves forward, it makes sense to be more and more inclusive with our sizing and classic menswear aesthetics.”

HE FOR SHE

Like it’s done in the past, Brave GentleMan partnered with Novacas, a cruelty-free label based in New York City and Portugal, to create its boots, loafers, sandals, and pumps.

Clad in “Futureleather,” a biodegradable, EU Ecolabel–certified faux leather from Italy, the shoes are durable and water-resistant yet supple to the touch.

“They are shoemaking and sourcing experts when it comes to impeccable craftsmanship, ethical labor and vegan materials,” said Katcher of his frequent collaborator, whose name means “no cow” in Spanish and Portuguese. “So much of the ethical fashion community is about collaborating and community, and this is a great example of that.”

Other items in the collection, produced in Manhattan’s historic Garment District, feature globally sourced materials that are as environmentally kind as they are animal-friendly.

FUTURE PERFECT

“The story of our materials and processes are something in which I also take a lot of pride,” said Katcher, who also teaches fashion students at Parsons School of Design at The New School. “We’re sourcing from the best sustainable mills all over the world: Brazil, Italy, Japan, the United States, and it comes together to form something that has integrity and realness that our customers are proud to be a part of.”

Katcher values the way products are made over any kind of “marketed ‘story.'”

“We embrace a ‘slow fashion’ production model,” he said. “For us, ethical Fashion is not an aesthetic, it’s a methodology.”